I focused on the wind outside. The creaking branches of the trees above my house—thehouse. This wasn’t mine. I was on borrowed time and I needed to remember that.
The distant rush of water and ice breaking over the rocks lulled me into sleep. The next time I was aware, sun was slanting in my room.
I really needed to find my blackout curtains.
I pushed the suffocating sheets and pillows away. In the night, I’d buried myself under them thanks to endless dreams of the lake. I arched my foot, relieved to feel most of the pain was gone leaving only a bit of stiffness. I sat on the edge of the bed surprised that my ankle wasn’t the only thing stiff that morning.
I’d been near convinced my dick was as dead as my creativity. Falling asleep with Phoebe on my mind was probably the culprit. She was annoyingly sunny, but she was damn beautiful. And I had no business thinking about her. I had a book to write. Ignoring my dick, I stripped my bed and dumped the sheets in the washer.
I didn’t need her scent in my head either.
I set it to wash and focused on my morning routine.
My head was so damn chaotic, that I had to start order somewhere. I got dressed and attacked the boxes I’d been ignoring. I trashed the box of memorabilia adding some more things that reminded me of Chris. Unfortunately when my best friend was so thoroughly layered in my life, that meant torching even more than I expected.
By the time I was done, I had a box of the stupid kitchy animal ceramics, half my sports jerseys, and a stack of books. My head felt clearer than it had in months.
Maybe I’d take the lot of them with me into town.
I needed to figure out what I was working with for stores at the very least. I layered up and put my boots on this time. Noneed to fuck up my ankle again. When I opened the door, there was a familiar ball of white fur on my porch.
“What are you doing here?”
The dog scrambled to his feet, his tail wagging.
I glanced over at Phoebe’s house. The road between our houses had been fully plowed and the winding stairs to her house were cleared. Her truck was parked between her house and another structure that was nearly as large. A work from home situation?
I tried to remember if she told me what she did for a living. Things were a blur from the brain fog and my rageful outburst. God, I was a fuck.
I picked up the box of animal dishes. Maybe a little peace offering was in order. I needed to thank her for the soup at the very least. And more importantly, to lead the dog back to her house.
“C’mon, Mouse.”
His tail wagged as he barked and did a few spins.
I sighed and started down the stairs. He chased me and took off across the road toward the beach before racing back up to me. He hit me in the thigh with his nose, barking happily.
I rolled my eyes.
Undeterred, he raced ahead of me and up the hill toward Phoebe’s house then dove face first into the snow and tunneled through it on his back making a dog version of a snow angel.
The closer I got to Phoebe’s place, the more color sprouted from the endless blanket of snow. Gnomes in rainbow colors lined the stone stairs that led to her house. The basket swing on her porch swung with the wind off the water. It wasn’t nearly as bone chilling as the day before thanks to the late morning sun.
I got halfway up the walkway when I heard music coming from the other building.
I just needed to leave the dishes on her porch. The dog would be safe with her while I left. He was her problem, not mine.
Mouse happily trotted over to me, his tongue lolling out of his mouth with ice crystals on his whiskers. “Go on, find Phoebe.”
His ears drooped as he came closer to me.
“Don’t give me that look. You have it good with her.”
He sat in front of me, resting his head on my thigh as he leaned hard on me.
“Go on.”
He leaned harder against me until I stumbled back a step and lost my balance. I spun so I landed in the mounds of snow. The weight of the box pushing me deeper into the snow.
